One on One: An interview with Josh Gray

Josh Gray is a MSU signee, who is asking for a release of his letter of intent. Josh attends school at Phillis Wheatly High School in Houston, Texas.

Good-Win! Sports Blog-
First off Josh, thank you for taking some time to be interviewed. My first question: What makes your game so much different and sets you apart from competition?
Josh Gray-
Because I'm dangerous!! I'm kinda hard to guard because if you guard me up close, I'm to fast, quick, & explosive I'll blow right past you and if you step back I can knock down the jumper from anywhere on the court...So how can you guard that?

G-W!SB-
I'll be straight up with you, I couldn't. Great answer. I can't help but notice that great confidence in you. Who instilled that in you?
JG-
My work ethics but I'd be wrong if I took ALL the credit for it. I can honestly say my personal trainer Marcus King & my mentor John Lucas helped me out a lot. They have put & are still putting lots of time in with me to get my game right.

G-W!SB-
John Lucas is one smart man. Can you tell me some about you're relationship with the other signees?
JG-
Don't really know any(one) but big Gavin (Ware) & P.J. (Hardwick).

G-W!SB-
PJ is a great guy from what I can tell. Man, I gotta know. During this entire process at MSU (from being recruited up until this point), can you take me through the highs and lows of being recruited/signing with MSU?
JG-
It's been a rough, long, stressing, fun experience and process!

G-W!SB-
I heard that you talked to Coach Ray. Can I get your honest first impression of him?
JG-
Yes I did ...He's a great guy who has a lot of good things to bring to the table. He loves the game. Give him a year or 2, he'll turn the program around, at least that's what I think.

G-W!SB-
I read the other day, that you were disappointed in the way some Mississippi State fans were acting. If you could tell them anything, what would you say?
JG-
Dear Mississippi state fans,
I hope all of y'all enjoyed the game tonight (national championship game). I just want to take this time out to thank y'all for all the support. Y'all are the best fans ever, and I couldn't ask for any other fans. Throughout my recruiting process with state, it's been kinda rough with me decommiting & recommitting, but y'all still stuck with me & that what makes y'all great. I talked with coach ray last night and from my first impression, he's a great man with alot to bring to the table. Y'all are going to love him. So if I do decide to stay with state, get ready to hop on the unstoppable train. But if I don't, remember coach ray is a great man. He'll take care of MSU with me or without me. Y'all have to understand it was hard for me to take the retirement of coach Rick because I committed myself to him, his staff, & his program and he just up and left. (wow). From a point guard's standpoint, its very important to have a great relationship with a head coach and that's what me & Rick had. It's hard for me to still come to state with a whole new coaching staff that I don't know at all or know anything about. I'm still trying to get to know them, but it seems like I'm running out of time for what I'm trying to do and that's to go to school in July for summer school. Well goodnight everyone, I'm praying & asking god to guide me through this and y'all do the same thing. Follow me on twitter for updates (@ThatsJoshGray), thanks and #hailstate

G-W!SB-
Good stuff man I appreciate you talking to me.
JG-
My pleasure.

__________________________________

• Thanks again to Josh for taking some time to let me interview him. I wish him the best wherever he plays ball (you should too)

One on One: An Interview with P.J. Hardwick

P.J. Hardwick is a Mississippi State signee attending school at the Christian Life Center Academy (Miami, FL). Below, he talks with me about his recruiting process, Mississippi State, the former MSU coaching staff and more.

Good-Win! Sports Blog- P.J., first let me thank you for taking some time to talk to me. You just recently signed with MSU, can you  tell me about you're experience being recruited?
P.J. Hardwick- It was a great experience and it was actually a long process. It has its ups and downs, but I'm glad to be a Bulldawg.

G-W!SB- So were you always a Bulldog? Or were there any other schools in the mix?
PJH- Plenty of schools were in the mix, but I narrowed it down to my main three and made a decision. MSU, South Florida, and Texas A&M.

G-W!SB- What was the biggest factor in your decision to pick MSU?
PJH- I picked MSU because it was a family atmosphere, coaches were loyal and honest and I would have a opportunity to start as a freshman. The SEC is also a great conference for exposure.

G-W!SB- I'll get back to the exposure thing, but I have a question a lot of people would like to hear you answer. How did you feel when you heard that Coach Stansbury had  resigned? And did it make you rethink your signing with MSU?
PJH- I was shocked! Coach Stansbury and Coach Grant recruited me. And yes, it did make me rethink some more, but I'm a pretty loyal guy. I haven't heard from Coach Ray, but I plan to ASAP. Then I will make my final decision. (Note: PJ told me later that night that he spoke with Coach Ray.)

G-W!SB- Hmmm... That's interesting. You would think that Coach Ray would have contacted his possible starting point guard for next year. Especially if Josh Gray doesn't go to state next year. Speaking of Josh Gray, how close are you to the other signees?
PJH- I don't know (the other signees) personally, I just know them. But I am close with Josh (Gray).

G-W!SB- Did you watch or hear Coach Ray in his press conference?
PJH- I was working out, but my dad told me about it. I heard he said some positive things.

G-W!SB- He said he didn't know how to lose. You don't know how to lose either, right?
PJH- I'm a winner and a natural born leader. Even now I'm about to go workout.

(At this point in the interview Hardwick stopped to go workout. Everything prior to this was around 5 pm on 4/2/12. We resumed later at around 7 pm later that day.)

G-W!SB- You're close to Josh Gray, can you tell me what's probably going through his mind right now?
PJH- I'm not sure.

G-W!SB- That's okay. Earlier in this conversation, you said that the SEC was a great conference for exposure. With that kind of exposure, what does the world learn about P.J. Hardwick as a player next year?
PJH- The world will know the name P.J. Hardwick this time next year. Mark my words. Not only one of the best point guards in the conference, but in the country!

G-W!SB- Let's say with that excellent exposure you get drafted into the NBA. If you could pick a team to play for, who would it be and why?
PJH- Miami Heat because thats where I'm from.

G-W!SB- Yeah, I should have seen that one coming. Okay, two more quick questions.
1) You think we can do this again about this time next year? I want to hold you to your prediction.
PJH- Sure we can. I like to help others.

G-W!SB- Okay one more.
2) You gonna follow your boy here on twitter?
PJH- Haha I'll see what I can do.

G-W!SB- Okay P.J., I look forward to talking to you next year. Thanks for all your time!
PJH- No problem, my man! God bless.
______________________________________________________________
On a personal note, I would like to once again thank P.J. for his time. P.J. was truly a nice guy and made me feel like he sincerely appreciated my questions. I wish him the best wherever he ends up playing basketball.

A New Era in Mississippi State Basketball: Rick Ray

Forward: I promise you that I was so close to naming this piece: "Old Dogs Learn New Rick". So close.

Mississippi State Athletic Director Scott Stricklin was expected to name a new head coach for the men's basketball team sometime this week, but it wasn't expected to be another guy named Rick. Former Clemson assistant coach Rick Ray was announced as the next head coach of Mississippi State's men's basketball team via Twitter by Scott Stricklin. To say the least, Rick Ray's name was not discussed by the media or fans as an expected candidate for the job. But here's the question most people are asking: What did Scott Stricklin see in Rick Ray to name him the next men's head coach at Mississippi State? Here's what I think Stricklin saw.

Note: Everything anyone says at this point, except for facts (i.e. Rick Ray is the next men's basketball coach at MSU) is speculation. And don't let anyone else make you believe any differently.

1. A Fresh Face- Personally, I don't think you can underestimate this factor. Most of the MSU fan base felt like it was time for a change, and the best way to do that was to hire someone "unexpected". I'm not sure I disagree with Stricklin. It has been 30 years since Mississippi State has had a coach from outside of the program (Bob Boyd from the University of Southern California).

2. Someone Respected in the College Basketball Community- I will admit that I had never heard the name Rick Ray until today at about 5:15 pm. But after reading some of the comments that were made tonight by fellow coaches, I will admit that I am impressed. Tennessee head coach believed that "MSU did its homework and reached out to a qualified coach". Purdue head coach Matt Painter, under whom Ray coached for 4 years at Purdue, said of Ray, "Rick Ray is a tireless worker and a fierce competitor." It goes further than that. All-American Robbie Hummel said that coach Ray will "do a great job at Mississippi State". These people are just a few examples of the people that regard Ray highly.

3. A Good Recruiter- Not to be confused with "The Recruiter (AKA Rick Stansbury)". At Purdue, Ray brought in the best recruiting class in school history. Ray helped bring one of the top recruiting classes in 2007, boasting none other than Robbie Hummel. 

4. A X's and O's Coach- Personally, I don't believe that Rick Stansbury wasn't a good X's and O's coach. However, it was a common complaint. Here's what current Clemson coach had to say about Ray, "He's an extremely talented guy, a very hard worker, and a really good basketball coach. X's and O's are at a very high level. He knows how to coach the game."

But perhaps the most important thing that Stricklin saw in Ray was something was something that, oddly enough, was something that was not present. 

5. "Rick fits the model of head coach we have sought to bring into our program over the last several years"- After reading all of the press release that Mississippi State released this afternoon, the statement above, written by Scott Stricklin, caught my attention. In my interpretation, Stricklin is saying that Ray fits the model for the type of coach he wants at Mississippi State, which apparently Stansbury didn't fit. It's possible that Ray did not have some of the characteristics that other candidates had. (Not really sure what that is at this point though.)

But, like I said, all of this is speculation. But this is not speculation in my mind: Scott Stricklin got his man. Let's see if Ray can get his first win today at the press conference. That would be a start.

Friday Night Writes: Spring Football

After a long and eventful off-season, the Madison Central Jags are finally playing some more football. There is a lot to look forward to this next season, so I'll highlight what I'm watching for this spring as well as other things that will affect next season.

1. Coaching Changes- During the offseason, some Jag assistant coaches received some promotions. Coach Doug Jones is now the Head Coach at Corinth High School, a 3A school in Northeast Mississippi. Replacing Jones is coach Jamie Everett, an assistant coach at Madison Central last year.Coach Todd Mangum, former defensive coordinator, is leaving for a big-time 6A team, Wayne County. Coach Ty Trahan will replace Mangum as defensive coordinator. Trahan played linebacker at USM for 2 years in the late 90's and was also defensive coordinator at Amory HS (Bobby Hall's last coaching job before Madison) for two years.

2. A New Defense- With a new defensive coordinator comes a new defense. The Jags will play a 4-3 defense this year (under Mangum the Jags played a 3-4). This will be a key to stopping passing teams from throwing for what felt like 600 yards a game (see Olive Branch). (Hold on here, I'm about to get slightly technical.)

While the 3-4 defense is highly effective at higher levels, it's not necessarily a good idea on the high school level, in my opinion. The main problem is that the linebackers, in a 3-4 defense, must cover wide receivers  on pass plays. And most high schools don't have linebackers that can hold their own against the defensive line AND cover wide receivers. So switching to the 4-3 allows for cornerbacks to cover wide receivers instead of linebackers. It also adds another down lineman to put more pressure on the QB and stop the run.

3. New Faces- If faced with the loss of key players like Drew Rowell, Hugh Warren, Shauntez Ball, Maurice Bennett, and Devon Desper, most teams would label the following season a "rebuilding year". The Jags, however, have the talent and the depth to have an even better season than last year. Here are some of the people I'm looking at to step up this year.

Offense

• Jake Schwartz (Sr, 5'10", 170 lbs.)- Drew Rowell was more than capable of leading last year's offense down the field nearly every drive. But let's face it, it was a rather one dimensional offense (not necessarily Drew's fault) . That's what I believe Jake Schwartz brings to this football team: a legitimate, down-field passing threat. Players on the team have told me that the coaches have the team passing a lot more than they did last year. But that isn't all that Schwartz can do. Schwartz has great speed, which he showed off against Jim Hill high school (he rushed for 78 yards on 7 carries). Look for Schwartz to be a true, dual-threat quarterback under Bobby Hall's offense.
• Daniel Goodspeed (Sr, 6', 200 lbs.)- Losing a player like Hugh Warren would absolutely cripple most teams, and rightfully so. THE MAN RAN FOR 1230 YARDS LAST YEAR. But I believe that Goodspeed will be a more than suitable replacement for Hugh Warren. Goodspeed's stats speak for the themselves. He essentially had 600 yards in 5 games. Yeah, I don't think I have to say anything more.
• Brandon Collins (Sr, 5'8", 180 lbs.)- Collins proved that he can play a starting role in Hall's offense. Last year, he started when Brandon Moore was injured and rushed for 344 yards in 6 games. Look for Collins to become an essential part of a 1-2 punch at wingback featuring Collins and Brandon Moore.
• Bailey Pepper (Sr, 6', 250 lbs.)- No one will argue that Mississippi State signee Devon Desper is a mammoth of a man. But it will take an even bigger man, metaphorically speaking, to fill his shoes. Bailey Pepper, a two-year starter will take his place this year. I think that the former right tackle will have no trouble adjusting to the new position.
• Keith Williams (Sr, 6', 170 lbs.)- Where to start with Keith Williams? Williams probably had the most frustrating year of any player last year. Pass after pass after pass hit his hands and then fell to the ground. But let's give credit to Keith, he wouldn't start unless the coaches liked what they saw. Keith will get over his dropping problems, and from what I have heard, already has.

Defense

• Lemetrius Hollins (Sr, 6', 250 lbs.)- Strong, fast, and explosive. Those are the words used by another teammate to describe Hollins. Hollins will be looked upon to guide a young but talented defensive line this year.
• Jamarion Roberts (Jr, 5' 10", 180 lbs.)-  Jamarion Roberts is the only junior on this list for a reason. He's undoubtedly the hardest hitter on the team. In my opinion, he's the true wild card of this defense. If Jamarion shows up, this defense will be hard to do anything against.
• Jayron Harness (Sr, 6'2", 170 lbs.)- Jayron Harness will need to be the leader of what has become labeled the "least experienced part " of this team. This talented cornerback has a nose for the ball and a high football I.Q.
• Nick Greenfield (Sr, 5'11", 170 lbs.)- Greenfield is the classic example of a ball-hawking safety. And it doesn't hurt that he knows nearly everything about what's going on the defensive side of the ball. Expect Greenfield to see a lot of playing time this fall.

4. Here are the things I will be watching for at the spring game on Thursday.

1. How will Jake Schwartz be used?- No doubt he will throw and run, but how much of each will we see. The spring game might give us some insight into how the offense might look this coming fall.
2. Which is more dominant? A talented backfield (Goodspeed, Moore, Collins) or a talented front seven (Hollins, Jimmie Lee, Jamarion Roberts, Brion Ballard, etc.).
3. How cohesive is the offensive line?- Elite teams must have a good offensive line that works as one unit.
4. Will the wide receiver's catch the ball this year?- Whether the players will admit it or not, this was a major problem. It even cost the Jags a game against Olive Branch (8/19).
5. How will the defensive backs fare against serious passing threats?- Jake Schwartz should be a good measuring stick to this question.
6. How good is the back-up quarterback?- Why is anyone talking about the back-up quarterback? He's the Madison Central equivalent to Tim Tebow. Jimmie Smith, Jr (Sophomore). Does the name sound familiar? It should. He's the son of former Dallas Cowboy star Jimmie Smith, Sr. And he's arguably the most athletic student in the Madison County school district. I don't think he will start this fall, but you can bet that Bobby Hall will have pakcages that feature Jimmie Smith as quarterback. 
7. How deep is this team and what does the future look like?- The upcoming juniors and sophomores should provide an adequate answer because everyone gets reps in the spring game. I will definitely be watching for this answer. Here's some trivia for you: the upcoming junior class was the 2nd class in Madison Central history to go undefeated in 8th and 9th grade football. The first class to do that was ranked 4th in the nation (by Maxpreps.com) until losing to 1st ranked South Panola High School in the North State title game.

Spring games never fail to provide many story lines and a plethora of topics to talk about and this spring game looks to be no different.

Any comments/ questions/ thoughts? Thanks for reading!

March Madness Redemption

Okay, so last time I wrote, I made myself look really stupid by picking Mississippi State to make it to the SEC tournament championship game. So I'm back for redemption. We're playing ESPN's tournament challenge. Click here to join the Good-Win! Sports Blog group! The password is goodwinsports. Good luck!

Conference Tournament Madness

March Madness. This term brings up different feelings for different fans. For Ole Miss fans, it may bring up anger ( They haven't been to the big dance since 2001). For Mississippi State fans, the most normal feeling is probably anxiety (Being on the bubble is the norm for MSU recently). And for most Southern Miss fans? Well, they probably don't know how to feel ( 2 NCAA appearances, last appearance- 1991). But let's talk about something that can totally change your season up to this point.

Conference Tournaments. It doesn't matter how infuriating your team's season was up to this point. In conference tournaments, it's simple. Win and your in. 

So it's time to have some fun. Here are how things will unfold in the SEC conference tournament. (Or, at least, how I think it will).

 Game by game-


Game 1 (LSU vs. Arkansas)- This game will probably be a good match up. LSU has a frontcourt that may pose a problem for Arkansas. Ultimately though, I think Arkansas' defense will be too much for LSU.

Game 2 (Alabama vs. South Carolina)- This will not even be a good game to watch. Alabama's suffocating defense will confound an already confused USC offense. 12 points may be too little to pick Bama to win by.

Game 3 (Ole Miss vs. Auburn)- This game wouldn't even be close. Except that Auburn has been on a great shooting streak recently. UM fans better hope Frankie Sullivan doesn't drop 30+, or this could be a long night for Ole Miss.

Game 4 (Mississippi State vs. Georgia)- A blowout. MSU will get revenge against the team that started their 5- game free fall. This won't be a good game. MSU will jump on Georgia and then go for UGA's jugular.

Second Round


Game 5 (Arkansas vs. Kentucky)- This game will feature two great defenses. Unfortunately for Arkansas, this game only boasts one great offense.

Game 6 (Alabama vs. Florida)-  If Florida doesn't hit their 3 pointers, Alabama could win this easily. The only problem with that is that UF doesn't often get cold from behind the arc. And if the Gator's are hitting their 3's, Bama will have to make 'em too. That won't happen. The Tide is on pace to become the worst 3-point shooting team in SEC history.

Game 7- (Ole Miss vs. Tennessee)- UT is playing really good amazing. Their the second hottest team in the SEC right now. Ole Miss will play pretty good, but ultimately I think UT's 3-point shooting will be the last nail in the coffin for Ole Miss.

Game 8 (Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt)- If Vandy doesn't catch fire, Mississippi State will win this. Think about it. Vandy hasn't done anything spectacular. They've won the games they were supposed to. No major upsets. No spectacular wins. Plus, the Bulldogs are playing as good as anyone in the country right now.

Semi-Finals


Game 9 (Kentucky vs. Florida)-  UF will play good for this game with a trip to the SEC championship game on the line. Florida is a GREAT home team. However, this game is being played on a neutral court. And in my opinion, Florida is just a GOOD team on a neutral/ away court. And UK is a GREAT team everywhere.

Game 10 (Tennessee vs. Mississippi State)- This game will be a good match up. MSU has the advantage in the front court as well as the back court. So honestly, I expect MSU to outplay UT. Another reason to pick the bulldogs: MSU has done abnormally well in the SEC tournament under Rick Stansbury. But I do think that UT will have done enough to get a bid into the NCAA tournament.

Championship Round


Championship Game (Game 11- Kentucky vs. MSU)- Frankly, this game will be the same old song for State. The Dogs will come out playing great. Take a (fairly) large lead into the locker room. Start crying about some questionable calls from the officials with about 7:30 left in the game. Make a major mistake. Kentucky will take the lead. State will have to foul and hope that Kentucky will miss their free throws. Yep.

So, here's what I think this tournament will do for teams trying to make the NCAA tournament:

Kentucky #1 seed overall (rightly so)
Florida #4 seed
Vanderbilt #6 seed
Mississippi State #7 seed
Alabama #9 seed
Tennessee #11 seed,

So that's what I think. If you'll post who you think will win in the comments section below, we'll have contest. Winner gets a shout out on the blog's next post after the tournament.

Any questions/comments/thoughts? Thanks for reading!

Rick Stansbury- the Truth Behind His Tenure at Mississippi State

In the wake of a 3 game losing streak, MSU fans are screaming like an angry mob for Scott Stricklin to fire Rick Stansbury. 3 losses to totally inferior teams can do that to a fan base. But I'm suggesting a radical idea: let's sit down and use our brains before we make a decision that affects someone's life. Let's decide using facts and statistics how Mississippi State's coach's success compares to "better coaches" as well as other schools in a similar situation.

1. Let's play a game. Let's compare the first 13 season's of 5 current coaches.
You will need: pen and paper.

Coach #1
304 wins- 126 losses
.706 winning percentage
5 conference championships
2 conference division championships
1 Sweet 16 appearance
1 Elite 8 appearance
1 Final 4 appearance

Coach #2
241 wins- 118 losses
.675 winning percentage
2 conference division championships
2 regular season conference championships
1 conference tournament championship
1 national championship

Coach #3
291 wins- 158 losses
.648 winning percentage
3 conference tournament championships
1 regular season conference championships
5 conference division championships
-Never advanced past NCAA Second Round

Coach #4
222 wins- 132 losses
.627 winning percentage
5 conference tournament championships
- Never advanced past NCAA Second Round

Coach #5
245 wins- 169 losses
.591 winning percentage
2 Conference tournament championships
2 Conference regular season championships
-Never advanced past NCAA Sweet 16

Now:

•  Rank these above coaches 1-5. Write it down.
•  Now rank these following coaches 1-5:

John Calipari
John Calhoun
Kevin Stallings
Billy Donovan
Rick Stansbury

•  Here are the coaches to the resumes above.

Coach #1: John Calipari
Coach #2: Billy Donovan
Coach #3: Rick Stansbury
Coach #4: John Calhoun
Coach #5: Kevin Stallings.

•  Compare your two lists. Are they the same? Probably not.

You see, no matter how your list's compared, you will see that Rick Stansbury is in fine company in his first 13 seasons as a head coach.

2. Here are the top 6 basketball conferences in America (according to ESPN)
1.Big East
2. Big Ten
3. Big 12
4. SEC
5. ACC
6. Pac- 12

MSU has done better in the Stansbury era than most of the schools in these "power conferences". But here is what he's done it with. MSU has a $35.9 million athletic budget, the smallest in the SEC. However, Stansbury has consistently finished in the top 4 of the SEC standings.

Now let's compare the smallest athletic budgets of the other "power conferences" and their basketball success to that of MSU's. (Note: Not all schools, especially private schools, report their athletic budget)

Big East- South Florida (a all-sport member) has a $37.8 million athletic budget. They have had some success recently, but nothing comparable to what Stansbury has done. They have not finished in the top half of the Big East, much less the top 4 in the conference. They have only made 2 NCAA tournament appearances.

Big 10- Purdue has a $57.6 million athletic budget. Purdue has been an excellent team recently, consistently making the NCAA tournament, being ranked in the top 25, and winning games against good opponents.

Big 12-  Iowa State (another team experiencing new found success) has an athletic budget of $42.3 million dollars. They haven't had a good team since the Larry Eustachy years (Elite Eight in '00)

ACC- NC State has an athletic budget of $49.5 million dollars. For the past 4-5 years, NC State has had similar success to MSU; however, they have not made an NCAA tournament since '06.

Pac-12- Utah is the only team from a power conference that has a smaller athletic budget than MSU ($29.7 million). Utah has had good success in basketball, but not near as much MSU in the Stansbury era.

Facts: In the past 13 years
MSU was better than South Florida
Purdue was better than Mississippi State. But they have a athletic budget nearly 1.5x MSU's.
MSU was better than Iowa State.
MSU was better than Utah.

Now MSU fans can you see how your coach compares to other schools in similar positions in other conferences. What Rick Stansbury has done at MSU is nothing short of amazing. Now we will finish our investigation of whether or not MSU should keep Rick Stansbury. This is the fun part for MSU fans. Let's see what the other aforementioned coach's did in the rest of their careers (so far).

John Calipari-
493 wins- 153 losses
.763 winning percentage
13 NCAA tournament appearances
2 NCAA Final 4 appearances

Billy Donovan-
416 wins –173 losses
.706 winning percentage
11 NCAA tournament appearances
2 NCAA tournament championships (coincidentally he won one in his 14th season)

Jim Calhoun-
618 wins–233 losses
.726 winning percentage
22 NCAA tournament appearances
2 NCAA championships
Kevin Stallings-
253 wins-155 losses
.620 winning percentage

You can clearly see what these other coaches have done AFTER their 13th year. And after all, very few coaches make it 13 years in coaching anyway. In my opinion, the question MSU fans SHOULD be asking is "Can we afford NOT to continue on this road with Stansbury?"

It's true that Mississippi State has lost to "bad" opponents recently. It's also true that Mississippi State seems to underachieve at times during the season. If these things are true, then you must also accept the fact that Stansbury has had an unpreciedented amount of success at Mississippi State. These are all facts and therefore true. And when you have the power to affect someone's future, you MUST make decisions based upon fact.